Syrians face harsh conditions in Jordan camp

Refugees say they are shocked by "horrendous" conditions at camp run by UN and Jordanian charity.

06 Aug 2012 10:31 GMT

About 2,600 Syrian refugees have moved into Jordan's Al Zaatri, the country's first official, refugee camp in Al Mafraq.

Many people there say they are appalled by a lack of basic necessities and "horrendous" conditions at the camp, run by the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and the Jordan Hashemite Charity organisation

The refugees say bathing water is scarce and the dust is causing breathing problems for children.

The UNHCR acknowledges that camp conditions are challenging, but it seems that what is on offer is the most that can be done with what has been granted by international donors.

Andrew Harper, the UNHCR Jordan representative, said: "If people are really concerned about Syrians if they’re really concerned about the people's lives then we need to have prefabricated units because we also have to start preparing for winter."